A woman has bravely told how she was sexually abused by her father and his friends which her mother did nothing to prevent.

The woman, now in her 50s, spoke about her horrific experience as a guest at the opening of new offices of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (RASASC) for North Wales which has helped her deal with the devastating trauma that’s affected her life.

The woman, whose identity is being protected, said her mother was present and aided and abetted the abusers from when she was a toddler until she left home at 16.

The offices in Parc Menai, Bangor officially opened by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones provide a service across North Wales’ six counties and last year 600 people were referred to them for support.

The woman said: “My father was abusing me and my mother was part of what was happening. I can’t remember a time that it wasn’t happening.

A woman has spoken of her abuse hell at hands of parents

“There were other people involved. It was absolutely terrifying and painful for a child, but I think the emotional hurt and betrayal of trust is what does more damage.

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“I’ve gone from someone who was on benefits and so depressed I wasn’t really doing anything to someone who is working.

“I’ve got a really good wide circle of friends. I’ve got a lovely life. I go on holiday. All of the things that I felt had been written off for me because of what other people had done to me.

“There are long term effects from what I experienced, I don’t have any children of my own. I never got married, but I try to focus on what I have got rather than what I’ve lost.”

“It’s a consequence of what has happened to me but compared to sitting in a cupboard feeling miserable about it, I do have a life and I didn’t before I came to RASASC North Wales.”

RASASC director Jane Ruthe said: “We help men, women, anyone of any gender. We work with people who have experienced recent rape. We work with people who have experienced childhood abuse, and perhaps not told anyone for many years.

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“We work with people whenever they experienced sexual violence, whether it happened recently or a long time ago, whether they have ever told anyone before, whether they are going through a court case. We do also have a children’s service.

“One lady in her 80s who said that she’d actually been raped when she was in her late teens. She’d never been able to hug her children. She never phoned again and she never came in but she said she didn’t want to die without having told anyone.”

Mr Jones said: “The number of rapes and other serious sexual assaults, often committed by partners or people known to their victims, reported to the police are high.

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Mr Jones hit out at the UK Government for failing to provide centres like RASASC North Wales.

He said: “While I very much welcome the fact that there is an ongoing Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, I feel that the Westminster Government was incredibly short-sighted in refusing to fund support centres such as this one in order to support the brave people who gave evidence to the inquiry. The need for such support is greater than ever.”